Andy Katz has us as the 27th best team in the country.

The hype is slowly building…

The Wildcats faced a quality opponent in just their 2nd game of the season, taking down Dayton 71-66. Here are the numbers for the victory...


Martinelli only played 19 minutes, but NU thrived when he was on the court. 4 of 6 from the field, with 3 steals (the official scorer gave him a 4th as time expired, but I didn't count that).
Barnhizer had a strong game, with Langborg playing a team-high 39 minutes. All 3 of those guys are not afraid to shoot.

Not too surprisingly, NU was most successful when Martinelli played the 4 and Barnhizer played the 3. In almost 18 minutes of action, NU outscored Dayton 41-22. Thats rather remarkable.
Of course the flipside of that is when Barnhizer played the 4, NU got outscored 39-28. When the frontcourt was Preston/Barnhizer we got smoked 17-5. When the frontcourt was Nicholson/Barnhizer, we held our own, winning 23-22. I mentioned before the season that I thought Preston/Barnhizer might not be big enough for Big Ten competition... Something to keep an eye on.

Justin Mullins and Luke Hunger did not play at all.
Jordan Clayton did not play in the 2nd half, even when Buie went to the bench with 4 fouls. In the first half, when Clayton was in the game, Dayton scored 14 points in 6 minutes.

It was a nice win, even though Dayton lost their starting point guard in their season opener. He was their 2nd best player.

At this point in the season Matt Nicholson looks a half-step slow and a little heavy compared to last season.

Coach Collins only has 7 players he trusts currently... Going to need 1 or 2 more by the time January rolls around.

So Iowa is going to win it most likely. However what if they lost to both Illinois (definitely possible) and Nebraska (not likely). They would end at 5-4 and we have 5 other West teams at 3-4.

Assuming if Iowa lost out -

We win out, Iowa would have tiebreaker.
Illinois wins out (includes beating Iowa next week and us following week), I think they’d be in?
Minnesota wins out they’d be in but they’re not beating OSU next week.
Nebraska wins out (includes beating Iowa final game), they’d be in?
Wisconsin wins out, Iowa has tiebreaker.

West title is really not meaningful anyway as it will just add another L to whoever plays OSU/Mich in Indy.

Does anyone here have tickets to the Dec. 10 NU basketball game against Detroit that they’re not planning to use? I’m going to be in the Chicago area for less than 48 hours for family reasons and should be able to swing by the new WRA for the first time that afternoon. Pretty stoked to see it rocking live.

Can DM you my details. Thanks in advance.

Even though I was watching yesterday’s game through purple colored glasses, I could not help but notice the spectacularly poor effort the Wisconsin team put in yesterday. In the first half, their defense was utterly clueless about how to deal with the Cats’ attack, and both their offense and defense had the enthusiasm of someone going to the dentist for a root canal. In the second half, the players seemed to give a more spirited effort, but trailing by 3 TD’s early in the 4th quarter, the OC did not even hint at an effort to push the ball downfield, dinking it in front of the Cats’ conservative alignment while the clock bled away. I have seen some teams be badly coached relative to scheme, motivation and game plan over the years, but yesterday’s effort by Luke Fickell and his staff really had to rank as one of the worst I have ever seen.

It’s one thing to get the cover against NU, but that home loss yesterday was pretty excruciating, given the circumstances. I thought PSU was better than accepting “third place most years, and we’ll beat Maryland.” Oh well.

OC got canned today, so they’ve got a scapegoat.

Haven't posted much game to game this year because, like many, I was very annoyed by the events of this offseason. But after yet another impressive conference victory in what was clearly (in my mind) our most complete performance of the season to-date, this team has most definitely earned our respect and appreciation. (Warning - long post)

On offense, it's been a struggle for most of the year. Especially the first few games, and then against Nebraska and Iowa when Bryant was injured (important to note the exception against Maryland when B Sull turned in an excellent performance!). Our OL still needs work. We struggle mightily in pass protection and can't consistently move the LoS against good defenses - granted that is easier said than done I'm sure. And also it's worth noting that when we had a more functional passing game yday, with Bryant getting the ball out quickly and accurately and making them respect the pass, it slowed down their pass rush because they had to account for a balanced offensive game and couldn't just attack downhill - I liked Braun's comment in the postgame presser that "efficiency leads to explosiveness" because when you are ahead of the chains the defense needs to play more conservatively, or even reactively blitz as a protective mechanism rather than as an aggressive mechanism. And when the defense is on their heels and reactively blitzing, that's when you get the explosive pass plays - like the busted coverage on the switch route to Henning or the fade route where Cam Johnson absolutely torched their DB.

And speaking of that, aside from Bryant (who was great in Q4 against Minnesota, seemed to have a breakthrough there because he makes our offense an entirely different animal when he's clicking like he was today) - is it wild for me to say our WR group and its depth is the strength of our offense? I can't remember the last time that was the case. But between Kirtz, Cam Johnson, and Henning, I think we have multiple legit threats. It's not like any of them is Marvin Harrison, but they are all good players - and with a good QB if Bryant keeps playing like that, for once we finally have a few weapons that can prevent opposing defenses from playing press man on our wideouts with impunity.

Our offense isn't great. But with Bryant playing like that, it is plenty good enough to win ballgames. Especially with a solid defense like we have.

Speaking of which - our defense isn't exceptional, but it is very effective. Reminds me of our defenses under Hank - we are responsible and in the right place, and make tackles the majority of the time. We give up some ground between the 20’s (especially early in games) but we make it hard for teams to complete drives for TDs, and seem to adjust / improve as the game goes on. Still a few too many missed tackles from our LBs for my liking, but it's much better than what we saw from a demoralized defense under the prior DC who shall not be named. I'll start with the weakest part of the defense - the DL. We don't have a ton of speed here, but the guys for the most part are holding their ground, and in the last few weeks starting to get a bit of penetration on occasion. They struggle to get home because of the lack of speed, and there are still plays where the opposing QB has a painful amount of time, but they are starting to make it tougher on the other offenses. We are smartly playing pass rush specialists more on 3rd downs - 42 Saka and 35 Soares migrates up from OLB to a DE position. And perhaps more importantly, 91 Aiden Hubbard has emerged as a consistent threat for us. Hope he stays healthy - took a bit of friendly fire from a collision with his elbow on the play he got the sack, but came back in afterward.

Our LBs were intensely frustrating to watch last year or two, but have made progress this years. Gallagher and Mueller are probably not NFL athletes, but they are good college LBs. They get themselves in the right place a high percentage of the time. They get juked for a missed tackle on occasion, but they've made many more. And are even starting to make some big plays: Mueller has 9.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks, and 1 Int. Gallagher has 3.5 TFL, 1 sack, 1 Int, and 2 forced fumbles (one that could have almost been a Sack/Int except Taulia's arm wasn't moving forward). They are now a very solid B1G linebacking unit.

Lastly- our secondary is the strength of our defense in my assessment. Hollis looks like a real talent, I'm not the best one to judge this but I think he should get drafted (maybe by Cleveland to join Greg Cam and A-Walk there!). I guess he only is listed for 2 PBUs this year but seems like QBs just aren't targeting him much - and he's also good in run support. Theran Johnson I thought was vulnerable earlier in the season, but he's developed as the year has gone on. He's a solid #2 corner. And it helps that we aren't exactly playing against the cream of the crop QBs in the B1G west. Then two great safeties - Coco is a total stud in both coverage and run support. And then the young kid Turner - starting from the first game of the season (when the team mostly looked awful against Rutgers) I thought he stood out to me as a playmaker - I get the impression he isn't as reliable in terms of owning his assignment every single time, but he flies around and seems to be developing a nose for the ball. Really hope Coco is okay to come back as he would be a meaningful loss IMO - I know in the postgame presser they complimented Jaheem Joseph but he's not the same... like him more in a spot nickel / dime role in pass situations.

All in all, this team is not perfect, but I've really enjoyed watching them this year. Coaches love to throw around the word adversity, but they've faced a ton of it this year and the team has really banded together, far exceeding what anyone predicted. Really proud of the kids and thankful for their effort - it's been a blast. Really hope we can get 1-2 more W's and secure a 13th game, the players and coach have earned it.

You can count me on Team: #fireschill #firegragg and most importantly Team #removethetag - David Braun has earned a shot to be our head coach. Listening to his pressers, he just seems like a good dude too, someone we'd be proud to have representing our university. Sign him to a 2-3 year contract and let's see if what he's managed to inspire in this locker room translates to success on the recruiting trail, thus enabling him to sustain a competitive B1G squad.

GO CATS!

Colorado has taken play calling from OC Sean Lewis and given that job to Pat Schurmer,long time pro coach who is currently listed as an Analyst according to a story in the Athletic. Lewis and Schurmer will be co-OCs. Posters here had been advocating for Lewis as a possible HC candidate here. Maybe time for search firm to pick up the phone?

Undersized, undrafted back has been a breakout star for Baltimore over the past two weeks, after spending most of the first half of the year on IR.

NU RB coach Chris Foster was his position coach at ECU.

I talked to 2024 WR Hayden Eligon II about his Nov. 8 offer from Northwestern, his upcoming official visit for Purdue and where Northwestern stacks up in his recruitment.

Quicklane Bowl: https://247sports.com/longformartic...-reveal-title-frontrunners-219002720/#2283699

Let me know if interested.

From a positive editorial today re the vote tonight:

We’ve supported this stadium from the start. Our enthusiasm began with Northwestern making no requests for taxpayer support, in contrast to some NFL teams of our acquaintance. Thanks to the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan family, this $800 million project comes fully funded. Neither Evanston taxpayers nor Northwestern parents paying tuition are on the hook.

As we wrote in September 2022, this looks like it will be a beautiful place to watch college football (the old joint is looking down at heel) and the many student athletes at Northwestern will also benefit from substantially upgraded facilities that won’t just be for footballers. Moreover, the new stadium’s capacity will be lower: about 35,000 instead of 47,130, which presumably will decrease the stress on the surrounding neighborhood in the event of a sold-out game with the visiting likes of Ohio State.

🤔

Login to view embedded media

The OL looked like a totally different group Saturday. I suppose Wisconsin isn't Iowa defensively but was wondering if Bryant's audibles made a difference. Does it work like that?

…..if Saturday is the last game at the current Ryan Field?

Here are my initial notes, a full takeaways piece will be up this afternoon:

His future at NU: I asked Braun about #removethetag and if he's had any subsequent conversations about his future with Dr. Gragg.

On #removethetag: "I love our team. This group continues to pull together and I take that as a sign that I must be doing something right. They feel they have a head coach they believe in and I'm focused on doing everything in my power to make sure we're at our best for Purdue."

(For Braun, that's the equivalent of chest thumping)

Relationship with Dr. Gragg: There have not been conversations about an extension since Wisconsin.

"What I will say, and I'm confident in, that the people involved in that process are taking the proper steps to ensure that the program is led in the right manner moving forward...Dr. Gragg has been incredibly supportive of this team throughout this process and has involved our players in this process which is a credit to him. This is something that I know is an ongoing process that they take very seriously and I'm going to control the things I can control."

"We're in consistent communication, we're talking weekly."

Talked about the roles of Holtz and Vokolek: After Braun's promotion, he made two hires for ambiguous roles: Skip Holtz as special assistant to the head coach and DJ Vokolek as a defensive assistant. He talked about each of their roles as the season has gone on. He specifically highlighted Holtz' recruiting contributions and Vokolek's film study.

On Holtz: "I think Skip has embodied humility. A guy walks into this facility with countless years of head coaching experience and all he's asked along the way has been 'Dave, how can I help?' He's helped with his wisdom, mentorship and guidance. He's played a critical role in the way that we've continued to push forward with our recruiting. Losing some of our support staff along the way in this transition, he's really led the charge in pushing our recruiting department forward."

On Vokolek: "DJ is a trusted colleague, a trusted friend. He's someone that came in with me still calling the defense. There wasn't a specific position for him to be coaching but he's helped at all three levels of our defense and has taken a lot of off my plate. Stuff like, 'DJ, can you take a look at second down tendencies through a coordinator's eyes?' He and I are talking frequently on keeping me ahead in our game plan process."

Last game at Ryan Field: The Evanston City Council votes tonight on the new Ryan Field, meaning this week's matchup with Purdue could be the last at the stadium as we know it. Braun talked about his favorite memory on Central and Ashland.

"Minnesota," Braun said on his most memorable game at home this season. "I don't know if you're ever going to [forget that]. That's a memory that will stick with you for the rest of your life if you were there. The way our guys battled and the way it ended was special."

Braun closed out with a call to his teams fans to pack the place one more time (for the first time this year).

"Do everything you can to get to Ryan Field. This is an awfully special group and if you haven't had a chance to see them play live in person, I promise you're going to be proud of the way they play. Let's make sure we send off the old Ryan Field the right way."

Coco Azema update: Braun said he's day-to-day and while they're not sure if he'll be good to go for Purdue they "absolutely" expect him to be back for Illinois.

"We're hopeful we'll have Coco back for Saturday and I know he's going to do everything in his power to ensure that he's our there, but we'll take it day-to-day."


Bastone and Spencer on scholarship: Northwestern is bizarrely cagey about when they elevate a walkon to scholarship, but Braun confirmed the two DTs were elevated before the season.

"The level of play from those guys is incredible, it's awesome."

The Tigers take the Vols to the wood shed. As do the Cats to the Badgers.

Time to party Big Boy.

GOUNUII

On Sat we have the Purdue football game at 11 AM at Ryan field probably going to 2:30 But we also have a BB game starting at 1:30 at Ryan Fieldhouse Two games going on same place same time and I havew paid for parking at both so does that mean I can get a third car in the lot?

Gragg's doing?

Check out our takeaways from Northwestern’s key non-conference win over Dayton.

I have two extra tickets for the game this Saturday. Seatbacks included.
I will be attending but won't have my usual tag-a-longs with me (my two daughters), so would strongly prefer the other two seats go to NU fans. Message me with an offer if interested.
Go Cats!

@mshelton33 was in Evanston for David Braun's press conference today and files these notes.

The memorial services that were planned to be held today at Alaska's National Cemetary located at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in conjunction with Veterans Day have been cancelled as a consequence of three record breaking snowfalls this week.

Below, through my narrative and photos, I offer a virtual Veterans Day Tribute to those who served specifically in World War II and who are buried there.

Among those who served in World War II and who are buried at Alaska's National Cemetery are a number of family friends from my father's generation in addition to my own father.

The subject National Cemetery is also the final resting place for a lone civilian not related to a family member who served in the military. That individual is Charles Jones who died at the hands of the Japanese who invaded the Alaska Island of Attu when he refused to repair a radio he had destroyed after sending the original message informing the world of the invasion. His having been killed during wartime while performing duties for the military garnered him a place of honor in the cemetery at what is now Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

In addition there is a plot where non-Americans who served in World War II are buried which includes soldiers of the Soviet Union, Canada, and Britain.

That same plot was also once the resting place for the remains of 235 of the more than 2,600 Japanese soldiers who died in the Battle of the Aleutians in Alaska during World War II. In 1953 those remains were repatriated to Japan and in 1981 a headstone Cenotaph made of wood was erected in their memory. When it began to deteriorate it was replaced by another in 2002. Finally in 2018 on the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Attu surviving family members in Japan along with the Japanese Americans in Alaska had a lasting headstone that was inscribed by a mason in Japan erected. Fittingly, present at its 2019 dedication ceremony were 120 Japanese troops who were in Alaska for a bilateral joint training exercise. It was also noted that 2019 signaled the beginning of a new era in Japan identified as Reiwa 1. (The eras in Japan correspond to enthronement of a new Emperor and in 2019 the grandson of Japan's Emperor during World War II became Japan's present Emperor. )

Pictured first is my photo of the Battleship Missouri as it is presently moored in Pearl Harbor. It was on the deck of this ship while moored in a Japanese harbor that the peace treaty was signed bringing World War II to an end.

(The photos following were all taken at the above described National Cemetery here in Alaska and include the referenced inscribed in Japanese stone Cenotaph.)

I went to follow him on Twitter & Instagram after the win in Madison…and unless I’m missing something, I don’t think he has any public presence. What do we think of that? I see advantages and disadvantages on each side of this.